Mark Lawrenson makes shock prediction for Everton clash v Bournemouth

Former Liverpool player Mark Lawrenson surprisingly believes that Everton will lose 2-0 to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

The BBC Sport pundit has shockingly predicted a 2-0 win for the Cherries – even though they are without a win in their last nine fixtures and the Toffees have not lost in their last eight across all competitions.

Everton have also only lost to Bournemouth once in their entire history, winning seven of nine meetings with the south coast club since 1937.

However Lawrenson is still predicting that Eddie Howe’s men will earn a shock victory over the Merseyside club this weekend.

“I can understand why there was some controversy over Bournemouth’s last-gasp equaliser against West Ham on Boxing Day – it was another strange refereeing decision,” he said on the BBC Sport website.

“But a draw was still a good result for the Cherries, no matter how they got it, and Everton also picked up another point when they went to West Brom – their 12th from six league games under Sam Allardyce.

“The Baggies had a couple of decent chances to win that game, though, and I don’t think Allardyce’s seven-game unbeaten run will last too much longer.

“In contrast, Bournemouth have not won any of their past eight league games, but they are at home and I just think this might be the moment where they turn the corner.”

Allardyce has kicked Everton’s season into life after being appointed as Ronald Koeman’s successor in November.

The Blues have quelled any threat of a relegation battle and now sit comfortably in ninth spot with a win this weekend being enough to potentially see them move up to eighth – one spot shy of last season’s finish.

Bournemouth on the other hand are on a slippy slope are currently sit in the bottom three.

They are just one point behind a pack of teams trying to avoid the drop to the Championship but are also in touching distance of 19th placed West Brom, who drew 0-0 with Everton on Boxing Day.